If the Seahawks Win, Expect Them to Be Back in 2016

There’s only a few hours left until kickoff, and though we predict the Patriots will come out on top in this one, there’s still reason for the rest of the league to be very worried about this Seahawks team next year, especially if they do pull off the victory and win back-to-back titles.

Here’s a list of the Seahawks’ upcoming free agents for the offseason. While players like Byron Maxwell, Jermaine Kearse, and Malcom Smith (among others on the list) have had valuable roles in the Seahawks’ recent dominance, the team has just over $25M in cap space to re-sign whomever they’d like (add another $7M in cap room if they decide to part ways with Marshawn Lynch).

Of course, the real reason Seattle is in such great shape is because they not only have a good quarterback in Russell Wilson, but also a cheap one (cap figure of under $1M next season). Expect Wilson’s contract to get extended this offseason, so the team can try and leverage an earlier payday into a lower average salary cap hit. If Joe Flacco could turn one Super Bowl win into a league-leading contract, you can only imagine what back-to-back titles might mean for Wilson’s value.

But even if Wilson pulls in something near $20M per season (which would put him squarely in “elite” territory), the Seahawks could still have plenty of room to re-sign some of their free agents while leaving the core intact. This is the power of the draft-and-develop strategy (John Schneider comes from the Ted Thompson tree), especially when you hit on some diamonds in the rough. Plus, you can’t count out the Seahawks hitting on another rookie gem, meaning the road to the Super Bowl may once again go through Seattle.